There's no such thing as a perfect Fantasy draft. You're always going to find flaws, however small, when you build your roster out. But sometimes when the draft is over, and you look back at your team, you can smile if you have many players you like.
And that's what happened here.
Picking at No. 1 overall, I drafted several of my breakout candidates (Michael Pittman, Treylon Burks, Rhamondre Stevenson and Cole Kmet), as well as a few of my sleepers (Josh Palmer, K.J. Osborn and Derek Carr). When you pair those guys with Jonathan Taylor, Nick Chubb, Terry McLaurin, Michael Thomas, Miles Sanders and Joe Burrow, you can see why I'm happy.
Hopefully, you'll be able to smile after your Fantasy draft, and we're here to help with our PPR pick-by-pick series. What we've done with this 12-part series is a six-person mock draft between me, Adam Aizer, Heath Cummings, Dave Richard, Dan Schneier and Chris Towers. We each built two of the 12 teams in this 15-round draft to show you a different strategy from each spot.
This is an outline that you can follow if you pick from any of these draft spots in your league. The key is to study the strategy and not necessarily the players to see if this works for you.
Each team is different, and we offer an explanation of how each roster was built. None of these teams are perfect, but the strategy behind them is something you might use on Draft Day.
As a reference point, all touchdowns in this league are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE and FLEX (RB/WR/TE).
Here's my team from No. 1 overall:
1.1: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
2.12: Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
3.1: Michael Pittman, WR, Colts
4.12: Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders
5.1: Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
6.12: Treylon Burks, WR, Titans
7.1: Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
8.12: Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
9.1: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
10.12: Cole Kmet, TE, Bears
11.1: Melvin Gordon, RB, Broncos
12.12: Josh Palmer, WR, Chargers
13.1: K.J. Osborn, WR, Vikings
14.12: Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
15.1: Derek Carr, QB, Raiders
I'm still taking Taylor over Christian McCaffrey at No. 1 overall, but it's close in PPR. If McCaffrey plays 13-plus games he's likely going to be the No. 1 non-quarterback, but health is something you have to worry about with McCaffrey since he's played in just 10 games over the past two seasons.
My toughest decision actually happened in Round 2 with Chubb. I consider him a second-round pick, but I generally prefer to lean on receivers early if I draft a running back in Round 1. I knew I was taking Pittman at this turn, but I might regret passing on Deebo Samuel, Tyreek Hill or A.J. Brown in this spot.
Getting three receivers next was easy, especially with the talent available in McLaurin, Thomas and Burks. All three have questions -- McLaurin succeeding with Carson Wentz, Thomas' health and Burks as a rookie -- but they also have immense upside. And I can start all three if needed, with Pittman, in this three-receiver league with a flex.
I was thrilled to land Sanders in Round 7 as another flex option, and I love my running back depth with Stevenson and Gordon. Stevenson is one of my favorite players to draft this season, and I consider him a steal in Round 9.
Waiting on a quarterback and tight end paid off in a big way with Burrow in Round 8 and Kmet in Round 10, and I would love that duo at these prices in any league. I don't usually double up on those positions, but Gesicki in Round 14 and Carr in Round 15 were too good to pass up.
My receiver depth is exceptional with lottery tickets in Palmer and Osborn, and this is one of my favorite mock drafts this year. I hope I'm as happy with my real drafts, especially if I'm lucky enough to pick No. 1 overall in any leagues.
Favorite pick: Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson has the chance to compete for playing time with Damien Harris as the leading rusher in New England, but Stevenson could also have a significant role in the passing game with James White (hip) hurt at the start of training camp. If Harris were to miss time due to injury, Stevenson could be a league winner. He's the perfect No. 4 running back to draft in all leagues, but I would select him as my third option. I felt fortunate to get him in Round 9 here.
Pick I might regret: Nick Chubb
Chubb is obviously one of the best running backs in the NFL, and he should have another dominant campaign, even with Jacoby Brissett under center for the Browns. But if you told me in Round 2 that later in the draft I would end up with Sanders, Stevenson and Gordon, then I would have selected Samuel here. And then instead of Burks, I might have gone with Kareem Hunt in Round 6. I'm not sure which roster build is better -- we'll find out that answer when the season is over -- but that's the only decision I could regret.
Player who could make or break my team: Michael Thomas
Since Thomas is the No. 3 receiver on my roster, I don't need him to be the superstar he once was prior to missing 26 games over the past two seasons. But what if he is that dominant force again? Then my team has the chance to be amazing if everyone else is up to par. The reports on Thomas in training camp have been positive, and he's trending in the right direction. By the time you draft, he likely won't be available at the end of Round 4 or the beginning of Round 5. I'm hopeful Thomas will rebound to his 2019 form, and his production could make this team a championship contender.
